


One Day In D.C.

by lesbolust



Series: The Actress [1]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2016-05-05
Packaged: 2018-06-05 07:47:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6696037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbolust/pseuds/lesbolust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lexa has spent her entire life without anything exciting happening to her, and she's okay with that. But when a mystery woman walks into her family's restaurant and sits up at her bar, things may be about to change. Exciting might be just what she needs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Her eyes were the bluest things that Lexa had ever seen before. They were peering over the edge of the bar, looking down at her. Lexa had been cleaning; she hadn’t heard the stool scrape along the wooden floors from her crouched position behind the bar. She stood slowly, smiling at the woman sitting in front of her. Her hair was up in a bun, but there were loose blonde curls framing her face. The woman’s eyes stayed trained on Lexa, waiting for her to speak, but the lump in her throat was filled with all of the words she couldn’t get out.

“Hello,” the woman said, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. Her voice was deeper than Lexa had expected, but she was drawn to it. Lexa cleared her throat, and she grabbed a small cocktail napkin, placing it down on the bar top in front of the woman.

“Hello. May I get you a drink?” Lexa asked, keeping her voice steady and confident, though nothing about her felt like it was.

“Grey Goose martini,” she leaned forward as she spoke, resting her upper body on her extended arms. Lexa’s eyes flickered down to the woman’s cleavage that was now more prominent through her button up shirt, letting them roam over her lips before settling back into her blue gaze. “Extra dirty,” she spoke slowly, her voice getting slightly deeper with each word. “Up, with three olives.”

Lexa nodded, turning to the drink well behind her. She could feel the woman’s eyes on her as she poured the vodka over the ice in the mixing tin. Lexa’s palms were sweaty from the weight of her gaze, and the glasses almost slipped out of her hands as she shook them. She poured the martini into a glass, speared three olives, placing them inside of the glass. Lexa placed the drink on the napkin in front of the woman; her gaze hadn’t been averted from Lexa since she had first seen her. 

The woman took the glass delicately in her hand, her blue eyes staring into Lexa’s as she took her first sip. Lexa felt her heart slamming in her chest, but kept her breathing calm. She raised an eyebrow at the woman, waiting for her to speak again. The corner of her lips was curled up into a slight grin as she placed her glass back down on the bar top. The woman’s eyes finally breaking away, leaving Lexa to feel released.

“It’s perfect,” the woman said, “thank you.”

Lexa nodded. The woman reached across the bar, grabbing a menu out of the holder to her right. “My name’s Lexa, if you need anything-“

“Clarke,” the woman said as she traced her finger along the edge of her martini glass.

“Clarke,” Lexa repeated, causing the smile that had been tugging at the corner of Clarke’s lips to spread.

“Thank you, Lexa.” The sound of her name coming out in the woman’s husky voice sent a shiver down her spine. When Lexa felt herself shudder, she turned before Clarke could see the pink of embarrassment rise to her cheeks.

As Clarke looked over the menu, Lexa returned to her cleaning. She watched the blonde woman out of the corner of her eye while she washed the rack of dirty glasses, leaving them along the ledge to dry. Lexa told herself she was only keeping an eye out to see when she was ready to order, but she knew she was lying to herself. The woman sitting to her right was breathtakingly beautiful, and Lexa felt this undeniable pull to her. She couldn’t describe the feeling, but it was almost like familiarity; some odd sense of comfort mingled with a certain level of trepidation. Lexa frowned at the thought of how this woman, whom she had just met, could possibly stir any type of emotion in her, let alone such an odd combination.

The gentle sound of Clarke clearing her throat brought Lexa out of her thoughts. She finished the two glasses in her hands, leaving them up to dry, then grabbed a towel off of the cooler, drying her hands as she walked back over to the blonde. Lexa threw the towel over her shoulder, leaning across the bar as she took the blonde’s order. She kept getting lost in the woman’s eyes or watching the way her lips moved as she spoke. 

“Should I be worried you didn’t write anything down?” The words broke Lexa from her slight daze, her eyes darting back up with meet the woman’s blue gaze.

“It’s all up here,” Lexa said, tapping her temple as she spoke, giving Clarke a sly smile and a slight wink. The blonde just shook her head and laughed while Lexa walking over to the computer to put in her order.

The two of them engaged in minor chitchat as Lexa went back to doing the dishes. The majority of the conversation centered on Lexa, how she’d worked at the restaurant that was owned by her uncle since she was a kid. She told Clarke about what she was going to school for, and her dreams of being a writer, the latter of which she rarely discussed with anyone other than her family. She found herself relaxing around the woman even though the only bit of information she offered about herself was that she was in D.C. on business, though never specifying what line.

Clarke listened to her intently, never letting her eyes leave Lexa. They would fix on Lexa’s, or follow her hands as they moved around the bar. Every now and then she would catch Clarke staring at her lips. Lexa didn’t even realize how much she had been smiling until she felt an unfamiliar tightness pulling at her cheeks. There was something about this woman that Lexa couldn’t put her finger on, but she was so intrigued by the blonde.

“So how long are you in D.C. for, if you don’t mind me asking,” Lexa said, looking at the blonde as she twirled a fry in some ketchup before putting it in her mouth. The woman swallowed before speaking.

“Just a few days,” the blonde answered.

“All business, or do you have time for some pleasure, as well?” Lexa had meant the question to be innocent, but realized after the words had left her mouth that it came out as more of a come on. “I mean-“

“Not all business,” the woman cut her off, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “But I’ve never been one to indulge myself much in pleasure.” Lexa hummed her understanding, nodding slightly as she mindlessly polished the wine glass in her hands. “I do have a completely free day tomorrow, though.” Lexa raised her eyebrows, not in shock, but more so to encourage the conversation. “Any suggestions on what I should do?” 

_Me_ , Lexa thought as the woman picked up the spear of olives, pulling them off one at a time into her mouth. She swallowed hard, feeling her mouth go dry. “I guess,” she started, her voice slightly shaky. “If I had one free day in D.C., I would spend it at the National Mall going museum hopping.”

“Ha,” Clarke chuckled to herself. “Of course you would be the museum type.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lexa responded, slightly playfully letting her mouth turn into a frown.

“It means you’re a giant nerd,” Lexa heard from her right. Her gaze broke from Clarke’s as she saw whom the unmistakable voice was attached to. The blonde woman staring back at her was leaning across the smaller side of the bar, with a mischievous grin on her lips. Lexa’s eyes narrowed at her. “What?” She asked, shrugging her shoulders. “It’s true.” She sauntered off, leaving Lexa staring daggers into her back.

“I think it’s endearing,” Clarke’s voice pulled Lexa’s eyes from Anya’s back. Lexa felt the heat rising up her cheeks as she looked at Clarke smiling at her.

Lexa turned away from Clarke, going back to her cleaning as the blonde ate, every now and then her eyes darting toward the woman. Lexa chastised herself each time Clarke caught her staring, but she couldn’t help herself. She wasn’t the only one, either. It seemed that every person in the restaurant, granted it was mostly the staff, had their eyes trained on the beautiful blonde woman sitting alone at the bar. It was starting to annoy Lexa. She didn’t understand why everyone wouldn’t just leave the woman alone. She began matching everyone’s glances with a glare of her own, causing them all to avert their gazes.

“What’s with the scowl, little one?” Anya was standing back up against the bar, her arms crossed over her chest, her brown eyes trained on Lexa.

“I’m not scowling,” Lexa growled at her.

“Right, that’s just your face. I forgot,” Anya smirked.

“Do you actually need something Anya, or are you just here to marvel at my stunning face?” Lexa tried to keep her face impassive, but a smile was tugging at the corner of her lips as she bantered with her cousin.

“Well,” Anya started. “I was going to tell you that I don’t need you to work for me tomorrow,” she pushed herself away from the side of the bar, and crossed her arms over her chest. “But if you’re going to be like that…” Anya shrugged. 

Lexa rolled her eyes and sighed. She leaned across the bar, grabbing Anya’s arms and pulling her toward her. “Anya, I would be forever grateful,” Lexa began as she started to wrap her arms around Anya, “if you worked your own shift tomorrow and I could have a day off.” Anya had dropped her arms to her side, and Lexa squeezed her tightly before pulling away.

“What would I get out of this?” Anya asked, with her eyebrow raised at Lexa.

“You mean other than my undying love and gratitude?” Lexa asked, looking at Anya with a slight pout and big, puppy dog eyes.

“Nice try, but that look doesn’t work on me anymore, Lex.” Anya crossed her arms back in front of her body and stared back at Lexa. Neither woman looked like they were going to give in, but after a moment, Anya threw her arms up. “Fine!” Lexa’s eyes narrowed and her pout turned into a grin. “But you have to promise me you’ll actually do something on your day off, and not just sit at home or end up spending it here, anyway.”

Lexa rolled her eyes at the woman standing across from her, “Fine.”

“Lexa,” the name was drawn out in a very commanding tone.

“Scouts honor!” Lexa was holding up her right hand with the first three fingers up in an almost salute.

“You could be my museum tour guide.” The voice came as a shock, both Lexa and Anya had momentarily forgotten about the blonde woman sitting alone, eating at the bar. Lexa felt her neck crack as she whipped her head around to look at Clarke. Her blue eyes were focused on Lexa, whose mouth was opened as if trying, but failing, to get words out.

“I- um,” Lexa started stammering. She could feel heat rising up her neck and into her cheeks, and her heart began to pound in her chest. She wanted to look away and compose herself, but she was locked in those blue eyes that were looking up at her, waiting. “I-“

Before Lexa could finish, Anya spoke. “Perfect! She would love to.” A grin spread across her face as she grabbed one of the bar napkins and began scribbling on it. “This,” she said, pushing the napkin toward Clarke, “is her phone number.” Clarke smiled, and folded it up into her purse as she started to reach for her wallet, but Anya walked over, placing her hand on top of hers. “Since you’re willingly putting up with my dork of a cousin tomorrow, dinner’s on me,” she said, giving Clarke a wink before walking away.

Lexa was leaning back against the bar, watching Anya walk away. Her mouth was dry, and her throat felt thick as she tried to swallow away the nervousness she felt in the pit of her stomach. She could see Clarke looking at her out of the corner of her eye. She took a deep breath and let it out before turning to the blonde, meeting her eyes immediately. They were so soft, and the smile that was slowly spreading across Clarke’s face made the tightness in Lexa’s chest begin to dissipate. 

“I’m sorry if I put you on the spot,” Clarke said, her voice was soft and barely above a whisper. “I thought it would help,” she shrugged, as her lips curved into a slight frown. Her eyes filled with worry as they searched Lexa’s for reassurance.

“It’s okay,” Lexa started, relaxing her posture and trying to soften her own features. She watched as Clarke let out the breath she had been holding in with a slight sigh. “Do you really want me to come with you tomorrow?” Lexa blurted out as the question popped in her head, unable to filter herself.

Clarke chuckled at the slightly bewildered look and confusion that was plastered on Lexa’s face. “If you don’t mind,” Clarke began. “But you don’t have to. I’m sure I can find my way around the National Mall on my own.” The slight tone of disappointment in Clarke’s voice made Lexa’s heart sink, ever so slightly. 

Lexa let out a small, internal, sigh. Her features relaxed, “I do love museums.” Her pursed lips slowly spread into a smile when she saw Clarke’s face brighten at her words. Lexa couldn’t imagine how her eyes could have possibly gotten bluer, but they had. Lexa looked away, quickly, before she got too lost in them.

Clarke finished the rest of her martini. Then, slipping out of her seat added, “I’ll text you later and we can work out the details?” Lexa just nodded as she polished a wine glass. The corner of Clarke’s lips turned up into a smile before she sauntered off. 

Lexa’s eyes followed her as she left. Focused on the way her hips swayed as she walked, or how tight her pencil skirt was. Her long legs were perfectly toned, and the steady clip-clop of her high heels on the wooden floor added an extra air of confidence to her. As the front doors closed behind her, Lexa let out the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding in. She went back to polishing the rest of the glassware she had been washing, stacking them as she did so. Anya came up besides her, helping put away all of the polished glasses.

“Gustus said you can get out of here if you want, go get yourself ready for your date.” Lexa just shook her head.

“It’s not a date, Anya.” The words came out with force, though Lexa wasn’t sure if she completely believed herself as she spoke.

“Sure it’s not,” Anya added sarcastically, and Lexa could hear the smile in her words, even though she hadn’t looked up at her since she had walked up. “You’re welcome, by the way.” Her words were laced with cockiness, and when Lexa looked up, her face was taken up by a smug smile.

Lexa frowned, “For what?”

“Getting you a date with a movie star, of course,” Anya answered so matter of factly.

“It’s not a da-“ Lexa started to grit through her teeth. “Wait. What did you just say?” Lexa’s brow was knitted in confusion as she looked at Anya, whose smug smile had turned into a look of fake surprise.

“You mean you didn’t know?” Anya asked still feigning shock. Lexa’s only response was a continued frown. “Lex, that was Clarke Griffin, the actress.”


	2. Chapter 2

Lexa was standing in front of room 312, her hand raised to knock on the door, but instead falling to her side. She rubbed it on her jeans again, for the forth time, before bringing it back up to look at her watch. It was two minutes to 10 a.m., which is when they had agreed for Lexa to pick Clarke up from her hotel. Lexa had been early, and standing in the hallway for about 10 minutes debating whether or not she should knock. Lexa Woods was not the type of person to second-guess every decision she had ever made, but in this moment she was. Her stomach had been tied in nervous knots since the previous night.

As soon as she walked out of work the night before, Lexa was on her phone looking up pictures of Clarke Griffin, and with the first search, she realized that Anya was right. The blonde woman that had sat at her bar had in fact been the actress in question. She tried to brush off the feelings on nervousness rising inside of her, but her anxiety only continued to build as she got home and realized she had absolutely nothing to wear the next day. She forced Anya to come over after she had closed down the restaurant to help her figure something out, blaming her for putting Lexa in this situation to begin with when she tried to protest. It took them two hours to find something that Lexa finally agreed to be acceptable. 

Lexa ran her hand through her hair, pulling it over her shoulder. She buttoned, then unbuttoned the same button on her shirt for the second time since standing in the hallway. She gently tugged on the top of her under shirt, and pulled both her shirts down again. Her jeans felt so tight as she wiped her hand down her leg, again. 10 a.m. on the dot. She was so focused in her own thoughts, cursing Anya for telling her about who Clarke really was, that she didn’t notice the shadow under to door. As she reached her hand out to knock, the door opened.

Lexa’s eyebrows lifted and her lips parted in surprise. Clarke just leaned against the doorframe, her mouth tugged up in the corners into a slight smile. She had her hair pulled up into a messy bun with sunglasses pushed on top of her head. She was wearing a plain white, silky looking shirt; the neckline came down just below her collarbones. Her dark jeans clung tightly to her legs, but it was her shoes that caught Lexa’s attention most. She had assumed Clarke’s outfit probably cost more than Lexa’s entire wardrobe, but it was rounded out with a pair of old, worn black Converse. Maybe she had been too quick to judge. As her eyes traveled back up Clarke’s body, she felt slightly less nervous, until she realized that Clarke had been watching her as she had sized her up.

Lexa dropped her head, looking down at the floor, as she felt her cheeks begin to flush in embarrassment. She took a deep breath, but when her eyes came back up to meet Clarke’s she felt her words get caught in her throat. She swallowed the thick knot down, choking out a quiet, “Hi.”

“Hey,” Clarke said, just as quietly as Lexa had, but with far more confidence. At the sound of Clarke’s voice, Lexa felt herself start to relax despite the flutter in her stomach. Clarke’s smile widened, and Lexa could feel a gentle tug at the corner of her mouth as well. Clarke pushed herself off the doorframe, turning behind her to grab her purse off of the floor, then letting the door shut behind her. Lexa stepped back, gesturing for Clarke to walk first. She waited until Clarke was a few steps away from her before letting out the breath that she had been holding in, then started walking after her.

Lexa fell in step with Clarke, the elevator ride was completely silent. The two of them would glance at each other every now and then, but look away as soon as their eyes would meet. Lexa was chewing on the inside of her cheek, debating with herself on what to say to the woman standing next to her. She had never met a celebrity before, and had no idea what to even talk to her about. Should she act like she has no idea who Clarke really is or what she does? She had never been a good liar, though. Despite Clarke’s room only being on the third floor, Lexa felt the elevator ride was excruciatingly slow. As she opened her mouth to break whatever awkward tension had built up between the two of them, the elevator stopped, and the doors slowly opened. 

The two girls exited the elevator together, but Clarke took a step back, allowing Lexa to lead the way to her car. She unlocked the car as she approached it, opening the passenger side door for the other woman; whose look of surprise caused a slight grin to flash across her face. Clarke’s cheeks had a slight tint of pink to them and she mumbled a quiet “thank you” as she ducked her head down into the car. Lexa closed the door once Clarke was settled, then walked over and slide into the driver’s seat.

Clarke’s hotel wasn’t very far from the National Mall, but the city traffic provided little help with the quiet awkwardness that was filling the car. At least Lexa was able to use driving as an excuse to keep her eyes on the road and off of Clarke, but her knuckles were white from gripping the wheel tightly in order to keep her nervousness from bubbling too far to the surface. She drummed her thumbs on the steering wheel to the beat of the song playing on the radio as they pulled into a parking lot off of Ohio Drive. Lexa found a spot and turned off the car. When she looked over at Clarke, she noticed that the other woman was watching her.

“Are you always this nervous when you go to museums?” Her lips were pursed in slight amusement, but her eyes were soft. Lexa bit her lip, dropping her head in slight embarrassment. 

“I’m sorry,” she responded, softly. When she looked back up, Clarke’s brow was furrowed. Lexa let out a sigh before explaining herself, dropping her eyes back down to her hands that were idly picking at her jeans. “When you came into the restaurant last night, I had no idea who you were. Then Anya said something about you being an actress, and I sort of looked you up-“ Lexa felt a warm hand reach over and grab hers. She let her eyes come up; Clarke had a slight smile on her lips, but her eyes were filled with something else.

“That’s why you’re acting so weird?” Lexa nodded, looking back down at the hand still covering hers. Clarke laced her fingers with Lexa’s, squeezing her hand slightly to bring Lexa’s eyes back up toward her. They were so warm and welcoming. Lexa felt herself wishing she could look at nothing else. “How about for today we pretend like I’m not who I am, and I’m just the girl you met at the bar last night that asked you out?” Lexa was only slightly listening to the words Clarke was saying, because the feeling of her thumb drawing circles on the back of Lexa’s hand was sending sparks through her skin. She nodded, letting a slow smile spread across her face. 

Clarke’s hand slide out of Lexa’s, taking the warm feeling that had been building inside of her with it. They got out of the car and started walking toward the park. It was the last Friday in May, and the weather was perfect. There was hardly a cloud in the sky, and the sun shown brightly as they walked pasted the Jefferson Memorial. Lexa assumed Clarke had brought her over sized sunglasses in order to prevent people from recognizing her, but after being blinded by the sunshine, Lexa realized she might have judged the woman too soon, again. Neither of them had spoken since getting out of the car, but the silence didn’t feel as awkward anymore.

“So what did you learn about me?” Clarke had her eyebrow raised, and a teasing smile curved the corner of her lips as she looked at Lexa.

“I’m sorry?” Lexa wasn’t sure how to respond or what Clarke actually meant.

“You said you looked me up,” Clarke’s expression didn’t change as Lexa turned toward her, stopping as she walked. “What did you learn about me?”

“Oh,” Lexa started walking again, staying at Clarke’s side. “Well, I learned that you’re 24 and that you’ve been in more Romantic Comedies than I think I have ever watched in my entire life.” Lexa shrugged, because she wasn’t sure what else to say. Once she realized that Clarke was in fact an actress, she got too overwhelmed with nerves to keep looking things up about her. “Plus, it kind of felt like cheating.”

“How do you mean?” Even with her over sized sunglasses on, Lexa could tell that Clarke’s eyebrows were knit together in confusion.

“Personally, I would rather you be the one to tell me everything about you, not some third party media source who could have gotten something wrong.” Lexa shrugged, not thinking much of what she had said, but when she saw Clarke’s face brighten she knew her words meant far more to the other woman than she had realized they would. She couldn’t help the smile that crept across her lips. “So Miss Griffin, where to first?”

Clarke cocked up an eyebrow at the choice of name, but said nothing of it. “Wherever my tour guide suggests,” she responded. 

Lexa stopped walking. After a few more steps, Clarke stopped as well. She turned back to face the brunette woman who was looking at her with her head cocked to the side, lips pursed and her finger tapping her chin. Lexa knew she could spend her entire day in one of the museums alone, but she wasn’t sure if Clarke would be as into that as she would. She watched Clarke stare at her with a quizzical look on her face for another moment trying to decide where to go from here. Clarke started to fidget with her hair after another few moments of silence. She took out the hair tie holding in her bun, and as her blonde curls cascaded down her shoulders Lexa’s breath caught in her chest. She had never seen anything as beautiful as the woman standing in front of her, and felt a sudden need to surround herself with other beautiful things. Her hands dropped to her sides, as a sly smile spread across her face. “I think I have an idea.”

“After you, then.” Clarke tilted her head, and Lexa began walking. It was about a 20-minute walk from the Jefferson Monument to where Lexa wanted to take Clarke, so she decided to propose a game for the two of them to pass the time with.

“20 Questions?” Lexa nodded. It was a bit juvenile, but she wasn’t sure of a better way to get to know her that would be any less awkward. “Okay. But whatever question we ask the other person has to answer, too.” 

Lexa pondered Clarke’s stipulation for a moment. “Deal. You start.”

“Okay,” Clarke smiled up at her. “Where did you grow up?”

“Here.” Clarke raised her eyebrow, waiting for Lexa to continue. “I’ve lived in D.C. my entire life. I’ve never really left the city much, actually.” It was true. The farthest Lexa had ever gone was a school trip to New York City when she was in High School. Even when she was in college she lived at home and commuted. “How about you?”

“Believe it or not, I also grew up here.” Lexa looked at her quizzically.

“Then how have you never been to the National Mall before?” She asked, in an almost offended tone.

“I never said that, you just assumed.” There was a sly smile on Clarke’s lips, but Lexa’s face was contorted into a scowl. Or course she had assumed something about this woman, again. “I don’t think that counts as a question, though. So it’s your turn.”

“Siblings?” Lexa asked after a moment.

“Only child, you?” Lexa nodded.

“I have an older half brother named Lincoln.” 

The questions went back and forth as they walked. Clarke told Lexa all about her parents. Her mom was a surgeon; her dad had been an engineer before he passed away when she was 16. Lexa’s parents had owned Grounders before they were killed in an accident the summer after she had graduated from High School. After that she got her own apartment while she was in school and her Uncle Gustus took over the restaurant while she focused on getting her degree. 

The walk went by quicker as they talked. Lexa stopped in front of the East Building of the National Gallery, waiting for Clarke to finish telling her about why she hasn’t been trusted to have a pet since she was 7. The blonde woman was talking so animatedly about a gold fish she once owned, that Lexa couldn’t take her eyes off of her. Her cheeks already hurt from smiling too much, something she hadn’t felt in a very long time but thought she could get used to. Clarke sighed as she finished her story, a slight pout on her lips. Lexa laughed at the expression, watching as the sound brightened the blue eyes of the woman in front of her. Lexa held the door open for Clarke, who beamed at her as she walked inside.

“So what gave it away?” Clarke asked, still smiling.

“Gave what away?” Lexa was slightly confused about the question. She wasn’t sure if she had missed something Clarke had said while she had been staring at her.

“My love for art.” Lexa felt her ears redden and her cheeks flush and looked down at her feet.

“I um,” she paused, unsure of how to respond. Before she could finish, Lexa felt Clarke’s warm fingers intertwining with her. She looked back up, meeting Clarke’s smile with a full one of her own. Clarke began to tug at her hand, and Lexa followed, never letting go.

They walked slowly through the building, and even though it was the smaller of the two, it still took them well over two hours to get through it. They moved right on to the West Building, which had always been Lexa’s favorite and why she saved it. Clarke seemed to enjoy it more than she had imagined she would and Lexa found herself looking at Clarke more than any of the artwork. Although Lexa was supposed to be the tour guide, she loved the way Clarke spoke about art with such passion and conviction. She would start talking with her hands when she was excited about a piece, but never let go of Lexa’s, and would move them around together. The smiles that the two had walked in the door with had been plastered over their faces all day.

They had just made it through the last area of the gallery when the announcement came that it was almost time to close. Lexa could feel her stomach rumbling, and looked over as Clarke began to giggle at the sound.

“I’m sorry!” She moved her other hand to rub Lexa’s stomach, biting her lower lip to keep from laughing. “I forgot about lunch. Why didn’t you say something?” 

“I don’t know how anyone could possibly forget about a meal,” Lexa grumbled, leaning into Clarke’s soothing touch. “But you were so happy and excited,” Lexa shrugged. 

Clarke chuckled again, wrapping her arm around Lexa’s waist, and pulling them together. She rested her head on Lexa’s shoulder, and the brunette wrapped her arm around her back. Lexa could feel Clarke’s lips curve into a smile against the bare skin in the nape of her neck. Clarke’s hot breath tickling her as she spoke. “Come on. Dinner’s on me.”

Clarke moved away from Lexa, pulling her out of the building. They made their way over to the Pavilion Café; Lexa listened as Clarke continued talking about her favorite pieces. The sun began to set as they ate, and Lexa found herself more relaxed than she had been that morning. She had nearly forgotten about Clarke even being as famous as she was, except for the few times she saw people pointing at her out of the corner of her eye. She had managed to shield her from a couple pictures, but Clarke hadn’t seemed to notice, or just didn’t mind.

When they finished eating, they started walking around the Sculpture Garden. Fridays during the summer were always Lexa’s favorite time to come to the Sculpture Garden, because of the Jazz concerts. In the last 7 years, she had only missed 1 week. Clarke’s hand had found it’s way back into Lexa’s as they walked, silently, listening to the soft sounds of a saxophone playing in the distance. Lexa noticed that Clarke’s head was softly bopping to the beat of the music, as she hummed along. She felt her lips tug at the corner as she watched the blonde. Lexa stopped walking, feeling the tug of Clarke’s hand pulling hers. When their fingers were no longer laced together, Clarke stopped, turning to face Lexa with a confused expression covering her face.

Lexa stepped forward, wrapping her arm around Clarke’s waist, and cupping their hands together. She cocked her head slightly to the side, raising an eyebrow at Clarke, who bit her lip to hold back the smile that was taking over her face. Clarke placed her other hand on Lexa’s shoulder, as they began to move around to the music. Slowly, Lexa wrapped her arm tighter around Clarke’s waist, pulling her closer. Clarke’s head fell against Lexa’s shoulder, nuzzling into the crook of her neck. Lexa could feel Clarke’s eyes flutter close as her lashes tickled the skin on her neck. She leaned her head down, to rest on top of the blonde’s curls; smiling wider as the blonde hummed in contentment.

“Lexa?” Her voice was so quiet, and Lexa could tell it was laced with sleep.

“Hm?” She replied, just as softly.

Clarke lifted her head, but kept her body pressed as close to Lexa’s as she could. Lexa tilted her head down slightly, so she could look Clarke in the eyes. They were so blue, and full of affection as she spoke. “Thank you,” Lexa’s features softened, a smile spreading across her face.

“Anytime,” Clarke returned the smile, and Lexa thought that she wanted nothing more than to be the cause of that smile for the rest of her life.

Clarke looked at her for another moment, as Lexa’s eyes flickered from her eyes to her lips and back up again before resting her head back against Lexa’s shoulder. Lexa let out a small sigh. She wanted nothing more than to kiss Clarke Griffin in this moment, but she could wait. Instead she put her head back down against the blonde’s, and pulled her as tightly to her body as she could. 

When the song ended, Lexa reluctantly pulled herself away from Clarke. She immediately missed her warmth, but chuckled when she saw the pout on Clarke’s face. She reached up the hand that had been snaked around her waist, and cupped Clarke’s cheek. “I think it’s time we get you home, sleepyhead.” Clarke leaned into Lexa’s touch, humming her response. Lexa just smiled, pulling the blonde’s arm around her waist, as she wrapped hers around Clarke’s shoulders. They stayed like that the entire way back to the car, completely wrapped in each other’s embrace, smiles never leaving their faces. 

“I have a question,” Lexa stated, looking at Clarke out of the corner of her eye after climbing into the driver’s side of the car.

“Shoot,” Clarke responded.

“If you’re from D.C., why are you staying in a hotel?” Lexa felt Clarke tense at the question. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry-“

“No. It’s fine,” Clarke started. “My mom and I sort of don’t always handle spending too much time together all that well, so I normally stay at a hotel when I come to visit. That way I have somewhere to escape if things start to get too much.” Lexa nodded as she spoke, understanding what she meant. She had moved out of her Uncle’s house as soon as she turned 18, not because she didn’t love her family, but sometimes they could all be a bit much. “Besides, I didn’t come to visit, so I don’t think she even knows I’m here,” Clarke shrugged.

“So why are you here, then?” Lexa asked, slightly puzzled.

“I told you last night,” Clarke looked at her, slightly confused.

“Business,” Lexa stated, remember their incredibly vague conversation from the night before. Clarke nodded.

“I’m filming a movie that is supposed to take place in D.C. We are going to be filming on location,” Clarke started. “I came out here to meet with a couple of the producers and the director before we start in a couple months.”

“So,” Lexa started as she climbed out of the car, moving around to open Clarke’s door. “What you’re telling me is that you’re going to be staying in D.C. for a bit?” Clarke bit her lip, holding back another smile as she nodded.

“We start filming at the end of August, but I’ll be here until the end of October.” Lexa smiled at her. “Maybe longer,” Clarke added with a sly smile.

“Good,” Lexa said, as she pushed the up arrow for the elevator.

“Good?” Clarke asked, as the doors opened. Lexa held out her arm, gesturing for Clarke to enter first.

“Yeah,” Lexa started. “I mean, I was supposed to be your tour guide today, and I didn’t really do much guiding.” Lexa turned to the blonde, who had wrapped her arms around Lexa’s waist, and took in her amused expression. “I think that it would be a shame if I didn’t live up to my given title,” Lexa shrugged, trying to act nonchalant.

Clarke just chuckled, shaking her head at the brunette. “Deal,” she mumbled as she pulled Lexa toward her. She buried her head against Lexa’s chest, as Lexa wrapped her arms around the blonde’s shoulders. When the elevator stopped, Clarke pulled away, lacing her fingers with Lexa’s and pulling her out of the elevator after her. They walked hand in hand down the hallway, stopping in front of Clarke’s door.

“I had a really great time today, Lexa.” They’re fingers were still woven together, and Lexa could feel Clarke rubbing small circles on the back of her hand as she spoke.

“Me too,” Lexa added, smiling at the blonde staring at her with such big eyes.

“It was nice feeling like just Clarke, again.” Clarke looked down at her shoes, as she spoke. “Instead of Clarke Griffin.”

“Personally,” Lexa began, reaching out her hand and tipping her chin up. “I think that ‘just Clarke’ is absolutely amazing.” She moved her hand so that it was cupping Clarke’s face, “And Clarke Griffin,” Lexa began stroking her thumb along the blonde’s soft cheek. “I don’t know her well, but so far I’d say she’s pretty great, too.”

Lexa leaned in, cautiously, until she could feel Clarke’s breath against her lips. She shut her eyes, closing the distance between them. Clarke’s lips were soft, and hesitant, but she quickly relaxed into the kiss. Lexa pulled back, turning her head slightly. Her nose gently bumping Clarke’s as she felt her hand reach up and into her hair, pulling her back in. Lexa could hear Clarke’s breath hitch as their lips met again. Lexa wrapped her arms around Clarke’s waist, as the blonde pulled her lips away. They stood in the doorway, arms wrapped around each other and foreheads rested together as they both caught their breath. When they opened their eyes, looking at one another, they were wearing matching grins.

Lexa’s hands dropped from Clarke’s waist, as she pulled away. Reaching a hand back up to cup Clarke’s cheek. The blonde looked at her, eyes shining, but a pout on her lips. Lexa chuckled, leaning down to kiss her again. “Good night, Clarke,” Lexa mumbled against her lips before turning to walk back down the hallway.

“Good night, Lexa,” Clarke responded, as Lexa’s fingers slowly slid from her own.

While she waited for the elevator, Lexa turned to look back at Clarke. She caught the last few strands of blonde hair vanishing behind her hotel room door. Lexa looked back at the metal doors. She looked at the giant smile that had taken up her face, touching her lips where she could still feel the slight wetness from Clarke’s. When she got back down to her car, she climbed into the driver’s seat. She let her head fall against the seat, letting out the sigh that she had been holding in for what felt like hours. She couldn’t think of a moment in her life where she had been happier than she was right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading. Part 2 should be finished soon!


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